The United Nations is sounding the alarm over what it calls a global crisis of violence and intimidation against media workers.
Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, warned that when attacks on the press become normalized, freedom itself begins to decay. His statement came ahead of World Press Freedom Day, observed every May 3rd.
Türk paid tribute to journalists who document atrocities, expose corruption, and scrutinize power. But he noted that journalism has become a dangerous profession. Media workers are being bombed in their cars, abducted from their offices, silenced behind bars, and dismissed from their jobs.
At least 14 journalists have been killed since January. Over the past two decades, only about one in ten killings has led to accountability.
Gaza has become a death trap for the media. Türk’s office has verified the killing of nearly 300 journalists since October 2023. Dozens more have been injured. In 2026, Lebanon is the deadliest country for media workers.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said recent years have seen a sharp rise in the number of journalists killed-often deliberately targeted-in war zones. He added that press freedom is under unprecedented strain from economic pressures, new technologies, and active manipulation.
Türk warned that virtually no country is safe for those who speak truth to power. He cited his recent visit to Mexico, where reporting on corruption or organized crime puts journalists, their sources, and their families at grave risk. He also expressed concern about transnational repression and surveillance, particularly attacks against Iranian journalists abroad.
Worldwide, roughly 330 media workers and 500 citizen journalists and human rights bloggers are currently detained. Online harassment disproportionately affects women journalists, three-quarters of whom have faced smear campaigns and threats of sexual violence.
Türk called on governments to end the persecution of the press, lift arbitrary restrictions, repeal abusive laws, and align legal frameworks with international human rights standards. He also urged tech companies to take meaningful action against online abuse and disinformation.